New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-09
FRANCE EXPECTS WAR.

FRANCE EXPECTS WAR.
Interview with an OfRcer OF the French Navy.
New York Tribune.
Baron De Lorme, the energetic
young Frenchman who for nearly a
year has been endeavoring to interest
American capitalists in the construc-
tion of railroads in China, is again in
New York after having been some
months in France.
Like most Frenchmen who come to
this country at the present time Bar
on De Lorme is full OF the war topic.
He has been for twelve years an Of
ticer OF the French Navy. In CONVEX
satlon on the war subject he said
among other things: ''The general i'm
preston in this country that France
will be whipped is erroneous. In case
we should have war with Germany.
France will be victorious this time.
In the first place, the war will not be
OF our seeking. France will not be
the aggressor. In the next place every
frenchman will know that upon sue
cess depends the very life OF
the nation. We cannot afford
to be defeated this time. In
the Chamber OF Deputies the most
violent antagonists of the Govern
ment assert with the utmost zeal and
vigor that in the event of war there
will be no party except the party in
support Of the Government. The
French people have been very pru-
dent. The newspapers are calm and
self-restrained. The spirit that ami
mates the French people is the same
as that which found expression in the
lips of Chanzy, who said that a
frenchman who spoke Of revenge
ought to be hanged, and the French
man who did not think revenge in the
remotest depths of his heart ought to
be shot. The navy of France is to-
day competent to cope with the navy
OF Germany upon any waters on the
globe. l think we are equally ready
as to armies and arms. Our military
leaders have not yet been fully de-
veloped, but we have reason to hope
that emergency will bring them forth
as it has for other nations and
for our own. we are not looking for
a Napoleon, and we are seeking to
avoid a Bazaine, and above all things
we want Frenchman, with the good
OF his country at heart. 1t is possible
we might be better of if war could be
postponed until 1890, when we would
havetwenty classes ofmen under arms.
We have only seventeen at present,
the present military laws having gone
into effect in 1870, but the difference
OF these three classes is scarcely ma
terial. We hear q great deal said
about repeating rifles with which the
Germans are armed. If were COM
mander OF the French forces I would
not have a repeating rifle in the army.
They are only serviceble in keeping
up the courage of men by the con-
stant explosion OF cartridges, the bull
let's which go wide of the mark. They
keep up the courage of men who are
engaged in what you may call bush
Whacking' lodging from tree to tree
without touching the elbows OF their
fellow-comrades. But as soon as the
shots are all fired away goes the
courage and the army is demoralized.
I would have the soldiers armed
with single-shooters and carry
their ammunition in the old pouches,
and instruct them that every bullet
must be sent to the mark. The diff.
culties of procuring ammunition on g.
field of battle are almost insurmount-
able at times, and the soldier who is
trained to recognize the value of ev-
cry cartridge is the better soldier OF the
two types. Besides all this Germany
has no such great equipment ofrepeat-
ing rifles, even if they were more de-
sirable. There are not so many re-
peating rifles manufactured and in ex-
iste1ce at the present time as to arm
over 100000 or 25O.OOO Of her SOL
diers and leave any great portion OF
such arms for the other nations which
have been using such equipments"
GLOW is it with Germany? Does
the Emperor really desire war;"
''1t is not a question of what the
Emperor desires. Bismarck is the
only German. William is Prussian
Won Moltke is under such control
that he would to-day, if ordered by
the Emperor draw his sword against
the Bavarians or Saxons as readily
as against d foreign foe. There is a
lack of unity in the Empire. There
Is need of unifcation. Bismarck
knows that the only thing that will
solidify the nation is a foreign war.
Knowing that and knowing Bismarck,
there can be no question but that
there will be war. Germany will find
q pretext. How soon or how late it
will come can not be foretold.